Question: The scale on a map is 5cm : 6km. If two cities are 50cm apart on the map, what is the actual distance in km between the two cities?
Solution: The scale means that every 5cm on the map corresponds to an actual distance of 6km. A distance of 50cm on the map is the same as 10 $\cdot$ 5cm. The actual distance between the two cities is 10 $\cdot$ 6km, or 60km.